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welcome back, everybody. it's a special holiday for one south florida family after a daring rescue. a police officer's dash cam caught the drama after a car crashed into a tree and then burst into flames. the officer broke out the back window and jumped into that burning car. a good samaritan and another officer managed to rescue the others inside.

>> i had to take it out like that with a couple back strikes to the window. >> could have been tragic and, you know, thank -- that's all i wanted for christmas. >> oh, wow. all those rescued are going to be just fine. and now to a christmas miracle for two adorable baby girls. alison and amelia tucker were able to sit across from each other on santa's lap. they were born joined and separated by doctors in philadelphia last month. and just yesterday, introduced to the public. >> it's been a sheer roller coaster of emotions, but i wouldn't trade it for anything, because we've developed as a couple, as a family, as individuals. >> so now we're six weeks later and these past six weeks have been remarkable.

>> doctors expect the girls to have full, independent lives. alison, the smaller but feistier twin, was discharged earlier this week. amelia will need a little more time to recover. >> we need to see more stories like that. >> and the advances in medicine. joined at the chest and abdomen. and now they're separated, going to live full lives. that's incredible. >> doctors earn their paychecks. nothing but respect. still to come, it might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the busiest. especially for the big guy at the north pole. >> but santa has nothing to worry about, because i am on the job. next up, i take a job as an elf. oh, yeah. you're watching "world news now." of course you're watching. where else would you see that?

it's got to be the most thankless job in the world this time of year, santa's elf. but this is one of our favorite stories of the day. >> here we go. that's because in the true spear otof holidays, selfilousness and giving, i decided to try out for the job and here is how it went. i'm about to start now this very important duty as one of santa's main elves here as the macy's in manhattan. very important job. so important, in fact, i have a mentor here, a mentor. say hello to everybody in insomnia land. >> i will be mentoring to you. what is your elf name? >> news guy. herald. what is the best part of being one of santa's helpers? >> there's nothing more magical than seeing a kid walk in and see santa claus for the first time. >> first, i need to get into my

official elf uniform. you dream your whole life about getting to the network. sometimes the dream shatters. ♪ >> you made it to the north pole. >> made it. >> you have to walk all the way through santa's village so you can see the whole town first. >> how many kids do you think santa will see just today? >> oh, my goodness. we see thousands a day. probably at least 10,000, maybe even more. >> every day? >> every day. >> i know we're making our way. >> we are. we're in the town hall right now. >> this is very cool. the kids must love this. >> this is probably the hardest thing to pull them away from, to get them to see santa. they're almost as popular as him. >> we're getting close to the moment.

give me some elf tips here. >> well, always be cheerful. always with everyone a merry christmas. and just be happy. >> this is the big moment! >> hello, herald. >> santa. it's been a while. >> remember what santa told you, all the children are good, they have that spirit inside of them, and they're excited to see me. >> always. who wouldn't be? i'm excited. >> we have so much fun here, don't we? >> absolutely. now that i met the big boss, it's time to learn how to take those iconic santa photos. >> let's bling in the children. >> to take a photo, it's the space bar here. >> this should be easy. it's not as easy as it looks. we're good. bring them in.

she looks happy, santa. she looks good. we're going to look right here at the jingle bell. right there for me. say cheese for me, jasmine. >> wonderful. after some practice, i finally get it right. >> that's a good one, guys. that's a good one. santa, i tried. >> you have a lot of spirit. you interacted with those children very well. >> thank you, santa. and you have a merry christmas. >> remember, this is the most wonderful time of the year. ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. >> what a day it was. >> i really enjoyed you sitting on santa's lap being bounced around. >> that was a moment. that was definitely something interesting. >> that's my favorite part. >> also, there every letter that a kid writes to santa, macy's donates $1 to a make a wish

foundation. the kids dropping their letter in, good cause of seeing santa and clearly, yes -- yes, i'll let you all write your own captions at home for that one. we'll be back.

♪ ♪ it's time now for a very special and perhaps the final version of "insomniac theater." >> it's all over. it's been a pleasure. i loved every moment. >> every moment, except for that last package. today, in fact, could be the last day on earth. at least for those of us two aren't in an underground bunker somewhere. what better way to end it by looking at some of our favorite end of the world movies. i'm going way back to the lesser

known file, 1998, "deep impact." the premise is nothing spectacular here. there's a meteor on a collision course with earth, everybody is freaking out. when it does actually hit and do extraordinary damage, really great special effects in that. at least for that time. it was about people pondering their future and dreams with this incredible event about to impact earth. take a listen. >> we honor them with every brick we lay, with every field we sow, with every child we comfort and then rejoice in what we have been re-given. our planet. our home. >> and in the background, you see the burned out white house. which is pretty dramatic. that's one of my favorites. and you have two that you like. >> i couldn't decide which was

my favorite, so i picked two. first up "independence day" with will smith. 1996 it came out and aliens come and invade the earth and blow everything up. and there's a group of rag tag people that go to area 51 in the nevada desert and participate in the counterattack on july 4, independence day. man versus alien, and it's awesome, okay? excellent. my other favorite, also starring will smith, "i am legend." what's so great about this, science fiction horror, a man-made virus goes haywire and has this crazy strain and will smith is like a doctor and he's kicking butt, but he's like kicking butt with vampires/zombies. >> does your husband know you like will smith that much? >> we don't talk about that.

>> uh-huh. a little hard up for will. ñuñuñ

this morning on "world news now," killer storm. the blizzard that's blasted the plains and midwest is blamed for at least six deaths. >> and it's blowing across the country, hitting big cities and stranding travelers just before christmas. it's friday, december 21st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good friday morning. i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> no end of the world just yet. >> not yet. >> we're rocking steady up here. it is friday, everybody. 12-21-21. good morning, i'm rob nelson.

that storm is blasting a big area from chicago to boston this morning. the latest is coming up in a second. from accuweather the story of the week, in connecticut, that tragedy. and one week after the massacre, how the nation will pause today and remember the victims as the debate over gun violence continues to intensify around the country. another somber occasion in what's been an extraordinarily somber week. >> for me it doesn't even feel like a week. >> no. and you can imagine in newtown, it doesn't feel anything like christmas should feel. just horribly sad. we'll bring you the latest coming up in a second. also this morning, the people who are insisting that the end of the world is happening today, all this talk about the end of the mayan calendar has some people doing some rather drastic things. >> so far so good. we're looking all right. >> we're here. >> we'll see what the rest of the day brings. it's been fun in case we're not here later.

and later, if there is a later, simon cowell has a brand new reality of his own. something is going on behind the scenes and it involves someone very special. you will not believe who simon cowell is dating. i'm a little jealous. i didn't think simon had that kind of game. >> it is surprising. >> apparently he does. he does have that money. that's true. we begin with killer blizzard slamming the midwest, turning roads into danger zones. >> a foot of snow fell on des moines, 20 inches in madison, shutting down that city. and this morning, the storm is now moving east. warnings and watches are posted in 13 states. tens of thousands of folks without power and 500 flights canceled in the windy city alone. abc's ginger zee now reports from iowa. >> reporter: an aggressive winter storm carrying thrashing winds and blowing snow has shut down major highways across the midwest and killed at least five people. there have been more than 1,000

spinouts and crashes from nebraska to wisconsin. in iowa, it was a 25-car pileup on i-35. so many people stranded on roads across that state, the iowa national guard has mobilized 80 troops in humvees to help. >> they can really get in some places with the traction. >> reporter: the blizzard is part of this storm that came in with a bang. that's thundersnow from madison, wisconsin. the third major winter storm of the season knocked out power to 400,000 homes in nine states. the southern part of the storm, waking parts of alabama up with severe thunderstorms and an ef-1 tornado. the storm now moves northeast. if you can find any positive in all of this powder, it's that it's moisture. remember, this is an area that's seen extreme drought. ginger zee, abc news, iowa. >> winter officially arrives later this morning. and this winter storm is well

timed. >> that's for sure. meteorologist jim dicky has our update now from accuweather. good morning to you, jim. >> good morning. still feeling the effects of our major winter storm here. winds will stay gusty out of the north and northwest. gusts to 30, 40 miles per hour in many spots. blizzard conditions continuing even as the snow comes to an end. the storm moves north and east bringing soaking rain through much of new england and then the winds out of the north and west across the great lakes, meaning lake-effect snow. especially the lake effect prone areas. some spots over a foot by the time all is said and done. back to you. >> thanks so much, jim. the nation pauses in a few hours to remember those lost in newtown a week ago. bells will toll 26 times in memory of each victim, beginning at 9:30 eastern time. funeral services were held yesterday for more of the young students who died. and nancy lanza, mother of gunman adam lanza, was laid to rest in new hampshire.

and there are questions this morning about the background checks gun dealers use to keep firearms away from people who shouldn't have them. this morning's "wall street journal" reports that millions of mental health records remain missing from the national database that gun dealers use to run those checks. people who have been declared mentally unfit are not allowed to purchase guns under federal law. >> you can imagine that's on the vice president's agenda. in other news, the fight to avoid the fiscal cliff at the end of the year is now a real cliffhanger. members of the house are now leaving washington, now that a republican plan offered by house speaker john boehner, called plan b, was put aside. it simply did not have enough support to pass. boehner's plan would have raised taxes on those earning more than $1 million a year. after pulling the bill, boehner said it's now up to president obama and the senate to find a way to avoid the cliff. so there's no way to get a plan through the house based on republican support.

that is the political lesson from this. but the day before, they said this is going to pass and then yanked it because the support in that chamber was not there. so i don't know quite where it goes from here. no one does. and now it's time for christmas break. so they get back and have less than a week to get something done before january. >> and the president isn't going to hawaii now, right? >> the last i heard, it was still up in the air. you can't imagine he would have a vacation now. or any of them shouldn't have a vacation now. but we don't know. so cliff hanger is the right word for sure. now we turn to a political eye opener and a new poll about the republican party. for the first time, the majority of americans, 53% in fact, say the republicans are too extreme. that is up from 40% just two years ago. also 22% of the republicans polled now admit their party is moving beyond the main stream. another madoff family member heads to prison for being part of that multibillion dollar ponzi scheme.

bernard madoff's younger brother, peter, has been sentenced to ten years. he pled guilty in june to conspiracy and falsifying the records of an investment adviser. the younger plaido eer madoff s didn't know about the fraud until his brother told him. a new judge in new york said she had a hard time believing that. and call this an indication of the reduced influence of the 220-year-old new york stock exchange. it's being bought by a company that's just 12 years old. no major changes are expected after atlanta based intercontinental exchange completes its $8 billion purchase. that should happen sometime next year. >> wow. >> $8 billion. >> to purchase the new york stock exchange. that's fascinating. what that could potentially mean should be interesting. but we'll see how it plays out, as always. facebook will soon be racking up more revenue $1 at a time. the social network is testing out a new service on a limited

number of people for $1, and will guarantee delivery of a message into the main inbox of someone who they are not friends with. currently, some of you may know messages from nonfriends most likely end up in a much ignored folder labeled other. the company says the fee should help discourage spammers. let's hope so. i never knew that box existed until last fall. and it was two months after a very important message came to me and i totally missed. and i regret it to this day. so go to your page and check it out if you don't know where that others box is. i had over 400 messages waiting for me. >> i have to check that. some residents in south florida could be accused of channeling their inner grinch. they are complaining about an over-the-top holiday display that dominates the neighborhood. >> we always see these stories. hundreds of cars drive past every night and the other residents say it's a safety

hazard because it's located on a cul-de-sac. >> a family called the hyatt runs the whole thing. they even have a radio station for instructions. they organize volunteers to keep things in check. but the neighbors want the city to step in. and i think it looks marvelous. i think it's beautiful. >> you don't live next to it. >> i wouldn't want to live next to it. i think it's pretty. >> that's the point. oh, man. we see this debate every year. it's almost over, folks. >> it's pretty. coming up, a beloved late night talk show host admits something very personal. some folks may not have known before this interview. and all the people who believe the world is about to end any moment, and those who are not wasting time finding a hookup. you're watching "world news now." >> hey, girl. "world news now" weather brought to you by consumer cellular. [ mom ] 3 days into school break and they're already bored.

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♪ well, well, well. in case you've been living under a rock, you might want to stay there actually, because today could be the last day for humankind. >> today, december 21, a major cycle in the mayan calendar ends. for many, that means the end of the world. that's right, thousands of tourists flocked to the yucatan peninsula near the sites of ancient mayan cities.

under mexico's scorching sun they lit a sacred fire and state side some folks reflected on how they would spend their last day. >> i would spend it with my family, my mom, dad, brothers and sisters and just huddle and get, the i love yous out, i'm sorries, i never meant it and that's it and go together. but that's not going to happen. >> i don't know. i was going to spend the day with my friends and family. >> that's a plan, friends and family. that's where you want to be. and other ideas for the end of the world, sky diving and spending time with friends. all good ideas. either get that one thing you've been wanting to do forever out of your system or just be at home with your loved ones and all check out together to that big hotel in the sky. >> apparently, there's one safe place in the world in the french pyrenees mountains. hundreds are flocking there because they believe there's a giant ufo and alien crew waiting

to take humans to safety. the only tricky part is you have to climb to the top of the mountain. >> good luck with that. >> why can't the ufo come in and swoop in and pick you up? >> they're never that nice. that's less dramatic. >> that's what they do in "e.t." they lower the platform and you just walk on or they beam you up. i digress. >> if you would rather indulge in forms of escapism, you don't have to be alone. >> because ads of hookups were way up in anticipation of doomsday. folks looking for one last romp are posting ads for casual encounters and end of the world sex on craigslist and okay cupid. uh-huh. and in new york city, more than a dozen bars and clubs are throwing the end of the world bashes, if you prefer the old fashioned way to meet somebody. >> and that brings us to our facebook question of the day. we want to know if this were you

last day on earth, how would you spend it? eso logon to wnnfans.com and let us know. >> keep it clean, folks. >> yes, keep it clean. >> this is what they've been warning us about. this is it. we've got to go. it's been fun. this is it. i've got to cancel my appointment with hotstuff69. i'm not going to make it, baby girl, i'm not going to make it.

♪ skinny, so skinny yes, it is time for "the skinny." i think this is hilarious. people get into all these arguments on twitter. the myspace co-founder, tom anderson and he founded myspace. no one really uses it anymore. but he sent this tweet out today and says people keep asking so i'll just say it. fear over instagram's terms change is ridiculous. get real, folks. >> referring to that controversy of the privacy thing. >> people thought they were going to sell their photos.

well, some guy says myspace says the guy that was not able to keep a social network alive. low blow. then tom anderson says, the guy who sold myspace in 2009 for $580 million while you save away hoping for a half day off -- boom! >> chris rock has dropped that mike. that's done. >> then what happened? the other guy just deleted his account. >> he got punked. >> what are you going to say? there's no response to that. because he did sell it for $580 million. who cares if it's not hot now? >> i know that dude is somewhere mad at the sizzler. he's just mad somewhere. >> don't start a fight that you can't finish. also, speaking of a lot of money, simon cowell a very rich man from all his tv success. but i didn't know who simon was dating.

apparently, he is with the one and only carman electra. he told ryan seacrest on wednesday they're not exclusive. he says she's not my girlfriend. he says, "we're people who date." the rumor started in november that they were dating and she opened up on "access hollywood live" and says he's so cute and adorable and a sweetheart. so apparently they are seeing each other, not exclusively. i didn't know simon cowell had game enough to get her. >> he always has cute girls. >> and a lot of money. >> carman still looks good. >> he's not bad looking. >> you like simon? i wouldn't have guessed that. >> and the money. >> the money, the bank account, the yacht. uh-huh. the money. did i mention the money? in other news, david

letterman, i love david letterman. just a new york institution at this point. he opened up on cbs this morning speaking to charlie rose and says he has really battled with depression. and who knew? this is someone who makes so many other people happy. he's been pretty skeptical about taking depression medication. so it's been quite a battle that he's dealing with. but it's just terrific that he opened up about it, because it's a battle so many americans have, that people have. >> it will be interesting to see what he does. his contract is up in 2014, but they say a lot of comedians do have a darker side. they have that jovial funny person you see on tv. a lot going on underneath. >> his rumor is a little acidic. and lastly here, gangnam style, the most watched video. the south korean rapper now, to show you how successful that song has been. he bought a $1.25 million condo in l.a., and may not be a lot by

hollywood standards. but he did pay for it in cash. so he rode that little horsey all the way to a cash paid for condo in l.a. gangnam style, indeed. bet he loves america now. . ca now. [ cat 1 ] i am not a vegetarian...

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♪ this week has been a week of heartbreak, of anger, of outrage. a week that few will forget. >> that's for sure. the massacre in connecticut that left 20 children and 6 adults dead inside an elementary school also touched off debate to make sure it never happens again. here's our friday "rewind." >> i heard a loud bang. we thought something fell. then we heard another.

then we thought that it was a gunshot. >> she saved all of us. there was 19 people in our class, and she saved all of us. >> charlotte, daniel, olivia, josephine, anna, dylan, madeline, catherine, chase jesse, james, grace, emilie, jack, noah, caroline, jessica, benjamin, avielle, allison. god has called them all home. >> you see little coffins and your heart has to ache.

>> for my jersey, and to be his favorite player. that they wanted to bury him with it, it was unreal. >> i will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at prevents more tragedies like this. ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a child like me ♪ >> later this morning, president obama plans to observe a moment of silence at the white house. >> it will happen at 9:30, one week exactly after the shooting. americans are being encouraged to pause to honor the many victims as well as to pray and reflect on what we've been through this week and hope it does not happen again. we leave you now with our own tribute.

this morning on "world news now," fiscal fiasco. a political defeat for house speaker john boehner. his plan b to avoid that fiscal cliff, it failed. >> the capitol hill drama. the lawmaker's christmas exit. and how this political cliffhanger impacts the country. it's friday, december 21. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good friday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. we'll explain what didn't happen on capitol hill last night, and its impact is already felt this

morning on financial markets. also this morning, the killer blizzard hitting big cities as winter officially arrives today. hundreds of holiday travelers are already stranded and it's not over yet. >> makes you so happy not to be in an airport in the midwest. good luck to all of those folks. you're probably up watching stranded in the airport. >> i spent so many days stranded in the midwest. i went to school in the midwest. >> rough winters out there. and later, costly errors in the operating room. how do doctors forget to remove clamps and other equipment? how mistakes are made and also how they are prevented. kind of scary when they leave stuff in your body. yeah. comforting. and this is christmas weekend and we're up for some special food and drink. our chief entertainment officer puts his gourmet spin on some holiday favorites. >> we always love when tim laird comes.

he always comes with christmas spirit. he brought a few spirits with him this time around. >> comfort and joy. >> including the clark griswold glass. we'll talk to him coming up. trying to avoid that fiscal cliff. it's a situation between president obama and congressional republicans looked dire before, now it looks nearly impossible. >> how members are heading home for christmas and speaker john boehner says finding a solution now is up to the president. >> reporter: in a stunning surprise, splits within house republican ranks forced speaker john boehner to cancel a planned vote on his tax cut bill. >> the house will stand in recess subject to the call of the chair. >> reporter: in a statement, speaker boehner said his plan b tax bill did not have sufficient support to pass. the speaker said it's now up to the president to avert the fiscal cliff. boehner had said he hoped to revive stalled white house negotiations. >> our country has big

challenges, and the president and i are going to have to work together to solve those challenges. >> reporter: despite persuasion and arm twisting, many house republicans told party leaders they would not support a bill that violated their no-tax hike pledge and raised tax rates even on millionaires. >> so let me be absolutely clear. speaker boehner's plans are nonstarters in the senate. >> reporter: senators are told to be back in washington two days after christmas in an effort to keep the country going off the fiscal cliff. funeral services will be held in washington today for veteran senator daniel inouye of hawaii. among those paying tribute yesterday, former senator bob dole. the two men became friends while serving together in world war ii. inouye lost an arm and senator dole nearly lost his. so 89-year-old senator dole, now confined to a wheelchair, insisted on walking to pay his respects, saying i don't want

danny to see me in a wheelchair. the famously globe trotting hillary clinton may have taken her last trip as secretary of state. due to her recovery from a concussion, the spokesman says clinton has canceled travel through the middle of next month. by that time, the new secretary of state may be confirmed. now we turn to the worsening situation in syria. a u.s. official confirms within the last day, the assad regime has launched lots of scud missiles at rebel areas in the territory. russian president putin, a top assad ally, acknowledged, this is important, that it is time for change in syria. back here at home, it is one week since tragedy struck newtown, connecticut. a moment of silence will be observed beginning at 9:30 eastern time to remember those who died. then bells will ring 26 times to mark the lives of 20 children and 6 adults who were killed. president obama will also mark the moment at the white house.

in related news, the national rifle association's long awaited announcement following the connecticut tragedy is set for later this morning. the group promises what it called meaningful contributions to make sure what happened in newtown does not happen again. the nra has returned to social media, cautiously posting on twitter and reinstating its account on facebook. i think what you may see at this news conference today, depending on how they choose their words, and you imagine they're going to do it carefully, this could be another turning point within a turning point, because the nra begins to soften or nuance its position on guns a little bit, that would further the discussion on capitol hill. you can't imagine they would come out and not give a little leeway here with some things. >> it has to be firm but it has to be very nuanced. as you just said. because what would be the point of coming out and saying we need more guns and less gun control? i don't think the nation would

accept that. that would be rejected immediately. and that's not the position the nra ever wants to be in. >> it's just amazing the dichotomy, the shock, the call for change. meanwhile, gun sales are soaring right now. not just any guns, but the same ones used in newtown are being sold. i think i heard one person say on this show yesterday, $1 million sold in one day at one store. but really remarkable. so we'll see again. another interesting press conference to say the least. the powerful blizzard sweeping across the midwest has killed at least six people. the storm is hitting chicago and detroit this morning and blasting more than a dozen states as it marches east. madison, wisconsin is buried under 20 inches of snow and a foot of snow fell on des moines. and in iowa, the storm blinded drivers. 25 cars piled up, a crash blamed on whiteout conditions.

a 120-mile stretch of the highway was shut down. the national guard was sent to rescue trapped drivers. >> and that storm brought air travel to a stand still. 500 flights were canceled in chicago with a ripple effect across the country. up to six inches is expected in chicago where holiday travelers are simply stuck. abc's alex perez is there. >> reporter: more than 1,000 flights across the country already canceled, from texas -- >> i can't get out until the morning. >> reporter: to des moines, iowa, where they got a foot of snow. >> we found a rental car and are going to try to drive through. >> reporter: in denver, those stranded just trying to get out. >> no delays, no delays. and now i've been in here for an hour. >> reporter: and at chicago's o'hare airport, hundreds of flights delayed. >> very frustrating. anxious to get home. i hate being at the airport. >> reporter: as the wind, rain and snow sweeps east from chicago, new york, boston,

washington, d.c. and philadelphia airports all expecting delays. and united and american say they will waive fees for some passengers that want to change plans. but for those trying to get to their families, it seems like little consolation. alex perez, abc news, chicago. now for your friday forecast. snow from the ohio valley to the appalachians. heavy snow in western pennsylvania, upstate new york and northern new england. extremely windy and pounding rain from d.c. to boston. chilly in florida. heavy rain in san francisco. showers and mountain snow in the northwest. >> 40s from seattle, albuquerque. 14 in fargo. 23 in the twin cities. 50s in baltimore, new york. and new orleans. and you've got to hand it to these kids. an entire middle school from an area of houston, texas. ♪ do you ever feel like a paper

bag through the wind ♪ >> that's katy perry's big hit "fireworks" and the 900 students of the simpson valley middle school. >> the video is the idea of one teacher who worked with these students for three weeks. coriographing the whole thing. the principal gave everyone an hour to get it done on tuesday. >> they got it done in just two takes and say it's a great builder of school spirit. nicely going. >> i want to do one of those flash mob things. we should do a "world news now" flash mob something. >> let's get real. >> ain't enough diet coke in the world to get this staff to do something like that. >> we've got to try. >> like most things on this show, it ain't in the budget. so do some research, get back to me. coming up next, spicing up your holiday spread with some gourmet food and drink. but first, costly hospital mistakes. the errors in the operating room and how surgeons are preventing them. you're watching "world news now."

"world news now" weather brought to you by five hour energy." n . ♪ it's so important to make someone happy ♪

when you give a child a toy, it has to work. ♪ make just one someone happy and when it's a toys for tots child, well, what could be more important? so this year, every hasbro toy donated to toys for tots will be powered by duracell. happy holidays. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere.

♪ welcome back, everybody. there is a new report out now that is a little more than scary. >> it says surgeons are making mistakes more than 4,000 times a year. i can't believe it's that many times. and it shows most of those mistakes can be easily prevented.

here's abc's dr. richard besser. >> reporter: a surgical clamp left inside an abdomen. scissor blade left near a pelvis. even this one. an 18 inch retractor left behind. and surgical mistakes, like the one that happened to lonny, they operated on the wrong knee. >> i was under, i was helpless. >> reporter: it happens a lot more than you might think. >> what we found is that about 40 times per week in the u.s., patients have a sponge or a towel left. 20 times a week we operate on the wrong side of the body or the wrong part of the body. and 20 times we do the wrong operation. >> reporter: dr. jeffrey port of new york presbyterian hospital showed me what is supposed to happen before surgery even starts. >> make a mark with our initials on the side of the surgery. >> reporter: the surgeon initials the correct limb. once inside the o.r., everything stops and they hold up a checklist. nurses should count the instruments and gauze sponges

before and after surgery. and some hospitals use a new technology that dr. port pioneered. a tiny tracking chip attached to each piece of gauze. are surgeons taking this seriously? >> very seriously. >> reporter: if you have to have elective surgery, there are a couple things you can do to lower the chance you're going to suffer from a surgical error. first, go online and look at your hospital's error rate. you want one where that rate is very, very low. then talk to your surgeon and say, do you use that checklist that lived so many lives? if they do, that's the doctor you want to stay with. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. >> that's eye opening. >> i know. >> you go in to get something fixed and you walk out with a microwave inside of you. that's fright nothing. >> you know that stuff happens and you hear about it reported now and then, but 4,000? >> that's a lot. your husband is a doctor, they work hard, long hours, people's lives in your hands. i get it. come on, now, not the microwave. we've got to get a little better

than that. all right, coming up next after the break, one of our favorite guests will be here, turning your holiday spread into something very extraordinary. >> yes, coming up next.

♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ welcome back, everybody. celebrating the holidays means good food and good drinks and you can put a little pizazz into the party. america's chief entertaining officer tim laird and author of "that's entertaining" is here again with his much appreciated gourmet touch. good morning.

i always say you're our favorite guest because you come bearing wonderful things. >> bearing fun gifts. what better way to get into the spirit of the holiday than a fun cocktail. >> and i see a lot of spirits up here. >> this is a fun cocktail. this is my mistletoe martini. i love this. i'm going to show you how to do this. let's decorate the glass. i want to start with just the lime and go around the outside of the martini glass, just a little bit. once around. dip that in a little bit of sugar all the way around and our glass is ready to go. you can do this a day ahead of time before your guests get there. >> it's like a snow capped martini glass. very nice. >> and for the cocktail, shaker with ice. i'm going to put in an ounce and a half of tangerine. it's the holidays, so that's my ounce and a half.

two ounces of cranberry juice, an ounce of pomegranate juice, a squeeze of fresh lime, a good shake. here we go. >> i love that sound. >> the sound of my alarm clock in the morning, that's what gets me up. anyway, i pour that into a martini glass. and our garnish is just some rosemary with cranberries. that goes in. isn't that wonderful? and here's an alcohol free version, which i left the tangerine out. so you can enjoy that. >> i'm sure it's still good. >> cheers. happy holidays. >> mmmmm. >> full of flavor. >> that's great. that is really good. >> that's the alcohol-free version and it's still good. >> very good. >> those of you that are fans of "lampoons vacation" you recognize the moose glass. >> it wouldn't be the holidays

without eggnog. but right now in stores, you can buy incredibly good eggnog. it used to be a few years back, you could just get that version that was horrible. but southern comfort makes this one, there's no southern comfort in it, but even store brands are making these great eggnogs. >> just in honor of the movie. >> there you go, clark. cheers, clark. >> it's good, it's good. just like clark says in the movie. i love it. >> delicious. here's another fun thing to do. you always have these broken candy canes. i take a bottle of vodka. just drop them in there. about 10 to 15 of these go in. they dissolve in about five minutes. shake that up and have a candy cane martini. or i love this in hot chocolate. oh, is that good. that's a wonderful thing.

then a gift giving idea. instead of giving that -- >> this is brilliant. >> instead of giving fruitcake, give them fruit bourbon. people will love this. just take your bourbon, pour it off and reserve it and fill the bottle about three fourths full of dried apples and a couple of cinnamon sticks, pour the bourbon back and in three days you have this wonderful infusion of the bourbon and apples and cinnamon. here's the extra bonus. you can't get all the bourbon back in because of the apples. so about a third of it is yours. so if you make three of these, you get a whole bourbon bottle yourself. >> it's a mutual gift. >> the gift that gives back to you. here's an easy recipe, too. holiday crab and cracker dip. just basically crab, cream cheese, a little cocktail sauce. capers to top it. people love it. >> tim, you're awesome, as always. another year with you. happy holidays. >> happy holidays to you, rob. >> salute.

thank you so much. find all his recipes on our facebook page. wnnfan.com. "world news now" continues right after this. can pluggable febreze make even this old container smell fresh?

describe the room. a big, open space. smells really fresh, man. oh! [ both laugh ] febreze? how about that? yeah. febreze anti-clogging technology keeps it smelling fresh. febreze. breathe happy. well, on this last day for the planet here, doomsday, it is the 21st here. we want to give a shout out to kp-tv in portland. they did a very funny seven-day forecast. i thought this was great. they had a graphic done, and it basically got to friday and they showed it and it had 1250 degrees on friday. a low of 1,147 degrees. they had a little fun with it. >> and saturday nothing.

>> it don't matter, we're gone. i love that. >> they have one guy that says, after tomorrow, it's just cockroaches and regis. and this guy says, yeah, mayans are trending. what a comeback, take that, spain. another person says, i got a message from sallie mae that tomorrow's apocalypse will not alter my student loans. and one says after tomorrow it's just cockroaches and regis. >> enjoy the end of the world, everybody. here's your polka. ♪ ♪ politics and foreign wars, all the weather, all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the "world news now" polka ♪ ♪ businesses from tokyo, that's the world of polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night and you're

wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ have some fun, be a pal, do the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ we're stuck here on the overnight, but that's okay because when he comes down the chimney we say hi to santa claus ♪ ♪ get us off this midnight shift ♪ ♪ that's the "world news "polka ♪ ♪ we wish you seasons greetings and the best of everything ♪ ♪ that's our christmas gift to you ♪ ♪ it's the "world news" polka do the "world news" polka ♪

this morning on "world news now," solemn remembrance. today's national tribute to the 26 victims of the newtown, connecticut, tragedy. >> today marks one week since the shootings, which launched a heated debate over gun laws. it's friday, december 21. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> it's been a very dark, somber week. perhaps we should start out on this friday with some of the good news. we're still here on this december 21, 2012, we are still here. >> doomsday. >> doomsday. but for right now, we're all right.

so that's the good news for now. good friday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin. paula faris is on assignment. the nation turns its attention to newtown, connecticut, this morning and we'll take you there in a moment for our top story. and then to capitol hill on what may be considered a stunning defeat for john boehner and the republicans. the political cliffhanger and how it impacts you. i think everyone was shocked at that. >> it says a lot at how wild the situation is on capitol hill and they may not get this thing done with the clock ticking away. now christmas is here. also this morning, the deadly blizzard delivering a punch to a wide area of the country this morning, just hours before winter's official arrival. so end of the world and beginning of winter today, too. a lot going on on the 21st day of the month. more later this half hour, what a christmas gift to parents of conjoined twins. what the doctors are saying

about their health and personalities after a delicate surgery. but beginning with the news this morning, the national rifle association joins the public debate over gun control for the first time today, since the newtown tragedy. >> the gun rights group is promising to announce what it called meaningful contributions in preventing future mass shootings. it comes one week since the tragedy. brandy is in newtown, connecticut. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. a moment of silence will be held at 9:30 this morning, that is the moment one week ago 26 lives were lost and bells will ring 26 times in their honor. more tears and heartache as newtown says goodbye to four more children whose lives were cut short last week at sandy hook elementary school. >> there shouldn't be a reason for a coffin that small, really. i think that, like, you have to just come and say good-bye. >> reporter: families crowded

into this funeral home for 6-year-old jesse lewis. just down the block another funeral for 6-year-old benjamin wheeler. they formed an honor guard with mitchell playing taps. >> i played for some in the past and it's hard, but i feel it's an honor. >> reporter: there were also funerals for catherine hubbard, the little girl with fiery red hair who loved animals and 6-year-old allison wyatt who wanted to become an artist. also being laid to rest, heroic teachers anne marie murphy who was found cradling the body of one of her students. vice president joe biden wasted no time leading the task force created by president obama to find ways to prevent mass shootings. by first meeting with law enforcement. >> even if we can save one life, we have to take action. >> reporter: strangers from across the country continue to travlg to newtown to pay tribute

to the 6 adults and 20 children killed as hearses continue to pass through these streets. this morning's moment of silence just isn't here in newtown. president obama and many cities across the country will also take that time to remember the victims. bob and sunny? >> let's hope folks around the country, take a moment and reflect on those lives lost and what the country experienced this week so close to the holidays and what that town has been through. those young lives. i think emotionally it's been a rough week for the country. yet alone those folks in newtown. >> it's a watershed moment for this discussion we're finally having about mental illness, about gun control. i think it's going to be that event in history where people remember where they were when they heard about the shootings in newtown, connecticut. another interesting note is adam lanza's mother was buried today

in sort of a very quiet funeral in new hampshire where she grew up. >> exactly. obviously, the focus, as it should be is on the young kids. that's the part that is so gut wrenches. but we did want to note she was brutely shot two to four times in her pajamas in bed. it was a quiet burial. >> she's a victim, as well. >> we wanted to acknowledge that, as well. the national tribute to the victims of the massacre will be covered live in a special report later today as the country observes that moment of silence and bells ring 26 times for each victim. abc news will cover that tribute live starting this morning at 9:30 a.m. eastern time. please join us for that. in other news, the battle over how to avoid tax hikes and spending cuts in the new year is now a real fiscal cliffhanger. last night, house speaker john boehner was forced to put aside his so-called plan b when it

became clear that it would not pass. boehner's plan would have raised taxes on those earning over $1 million. before political reality set in, he was sounding optimistic. >> our country has big challenges, and the president and i are going to have to work together to solve those challenges. >> after putting plan b aside, boehner said it's now up to president obama and the senate to find a way to avoid sending the nation over the cliff. house members are leaving washington. they'll return after christmas. >> you have to believe this is so telling about the trouble that speaker boehner is having corralling his troops in the house. even though the president said $250,000, they went up to $400,000 and boehner said $1 million. even that wasn't enough to appease some republicans in the house. absolutely no tax hikes. so this says a lot about speaker boehner's leadership and his control over the house.

buildli buildling a consensus there. so now we don't know where things are going to go from here. >> it was a complete failure and embarrassment. >> it was. >> i think we can all agree. >> again, all of this, no matter who fails or wins, it leaves the country in limbo, because people are like, it's abstract now. you open that first check in january, everyone is going to go, this is what the fiscal cliff meant. >> not so abstract. >> no. in other news, new jersey's popular governor will not face a challenge from another leading politician in that state. newark mayor cory booker, a rising star in the democratic party, says he will not run against chris christie next year. booker indicated he will run for the u.s. senate seat in 2014, now held by democrat frank lautenberg. but lautenberg, who is 88 years old, has not announced plans to retire. battle shaping up in the garden state. a powerful blizzard hammering the midwest is now being blamed for at least six

deaths. powerful winds kicked up more than a foot of snow from kansas to wisconsin, turning roads into a slick and dangerous mess. two people were killed in iowa when whiteout conditions. the national guard troops were called in to help people stranded in their cars. and the storm is also taking a toll on holiday air travelers stuck at airports. more than 1,000 flights were canceled. about half of them at chicago's o'hare and midway airports. the snow started falling there last night, and up to a half foot is expected. >> hello, winter. and with winter officially starting at 6:12 eastern time this morning, just a few hours from now, we have a major winter storm with major cities right in its path. >> meteorologist jim dicky is tracking this mess. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and sunny. still feeling the effects of our major winter storm here.

the swath of snow on the back side of wisconsin, illinois. the wind staying gusty. even though the snow has ended, blowing and drifting snow continuing blizzard conditions for many spots. watch out on i-80 here. a treacherous morning commute. the storm tracked into the northeast. winds out of the north and west. major lake-effect snow into the weekend. rob and sunny, back to you. >> jim, thanks a lot, sir. sunny, as you know, christmastime is tamale time and one maker in texas is operating on overdrive. >> the workers at the texas tamale company are cranking out their christmas tamales as fast as they can and they aren't just selling them to the locals. >> what is the food item again? >> tamale. >> what is it? >> tamale. >> tamales are being sent to folks in new england and the pacific northwest, as well. then there are those overseas. shipments are going to the

virgin islands, australia, japan and even guam. everybody loves it. >> i love this time of year. you know, in our family we make sort of like a tamale, just a little different. but it's a process, days and days. >> here's my question, are you going to bring in for your co-anchor? for the crew here on the overnight. >> of course. >> really? don't stand me up. i know you can cook, that's why i'm begging. and that drink you make, too. that's some good, strong enough. i remember that from last year. i'm still hung over from the last time you brought it in. coming up, our favorite doomsday movie and a special mayan calendar edition of "insomniac." and an experience i'll never forget. my day on the job as one of santa's elves in a big department store right here in new york city. ho, ho, ho. you're watching "world news now." look at that. it's time to change the way we clean.

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welcome back, everybody. welcome back, everybody. it's a special holiday for one south florida family after a daring rescue. a police officer's dash cam caught the drama after a car crashed into a tree and then burst into flames. the officer broke out the back window and jumped into that burning car. a good samaritan and another officer managed to rescue the

others inside. >> i had to take it out like that with a couple back strikes to the window. >> could have been tragic and, you know, thank -- that's all i wanted for christmas. >> oh, wow. all those rescued are going to be just fine. and now to a christmas miracle for two adorable baby girls. alison and amelia tucker were able to sit across from each other on santa's lap. they were born joined at the chest and abdomen and separated by doctors in philadelphia last month. and just yesterday, introduced to the public. >> it's been a sheer roller coaster of emotions, but i wouldn't trade it for anything, because we've developed as a couple, as a family, as individuals. >> so now we're six weeks later

and these past six weeks have been remarkable. >> doctors expect the girls to have full, independent lives. alison, the smaller but feistier twin, was discharged earlier this week. amelia will need a little more time to recover. >> no better christmas gift than those two little girls. we need to see more stories like that. >> and the advances in medicine. joined at the chest and abdomen. and now they're separated, going to live full lives. that's incredible. >> doctors earn their paychecks. nothing but respect. still to come, it might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the busiest. especially for the big guy at the north pole. >> but santa has nothing to worry about, because i am on the job. next up, i take a job as an elf. oh, yeah. you're watching "world news now." of course you're watching. where else would you see that? "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

it's got to be the most thankless job in the world this time of year, santa's elf. but this is one of our favorite stories of the day. >> here we go. that's because in the true spirit of the holidays, a spirit of selflessness and giving i decided to try out for the job and here is how it went. i'm about to start now this very important duty as one of santa's main elves here as the macy's in manhattan. very big job. very important job. so important, in fact, i have a mentor here, a mentor. say hello to everybody in insomnia land. >> i will be mentoring to you. what is your elf name? >> news guy. herald. what is the best part of being one of santa's helpers? >> there's nothing more magical than seeing a kid walk in and see santa claus for the first time. >> first, i need to get into my official elf uniform.

you dream your whole life about getting to the network. sometimes the dream shatters. ♪ >> you made it to the north pole. >> made it. >> you have to walk all the way through santa's village so you can see the whole town first. before you get to santa's actual house. >> how many kids do you think santa will see just today? >> oh, my goodness. we see thousands a day. probably at least 10,000, maybe even more. >> every day? >> every day. >> i know we're making our way. >> we are. we're in the town hall right now. >> this is very cool. the kids must love this. >> this is probably the hardest thing to pull them away from, to get them to see santa. they're almost as popular as him. >> we're getting close to the moment. give me some elf tips here. what is your advice?

>> well, always be cheerful. always wish everyone a merry christmas. and just be happy. >> this is the big moment! >> hello, herald. >> santa. it's been a while. >> remember what santa told you, all the children are good, they have that spirit inside of them, and they're excited to see me. >> always. who wouldn't be? i'm excited. >> we have so much fun here, don't we? >> absolutely. now that i met the big boss, it's time to learn how to take those iconic santa photos. >> let's bring in the children. >> you just scan the ticket. >> to take a photo, it's the space bar here. >> this should be easy. it's not as easy as it looks. we're good. bring them in. she looks happy, santa.

she looks good. >> where do we look? >> we look right here at the jingle bell. right there for me. say cheese for me, jasmine. >> wonderful. >> after some practice, i finally get it right. >> that's a good one, guys. that's a good one. santa, i tried. >> you have a lot of spirit. you interacted with those children very well. >> thank you, santa. and you have a merry christmas. >> remember, this is the most wonderful time of the year. ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. >> what a day it was. >> i really enjoyed you sitting on santa's lap being bounced around. >> that was a moment. that was definitely something interesting. >> that's my favorite part. >> also, there every letter that a kid writes to santa, macy's donates $1 to a make a wish foundation.

a lot of good will goes into it. the kids dropping their letter in, good cause of seeing santa and clearly, yes -- yes, i'll let you all write your own captions at home for that one. we'll be back. we'll be back.

♪ ♪ it's time now for a very special and perhaps the final version of "insomniac theater." >> it's all over. it's been a pleasure. i loved every moment. >> every moment, except for that last package. today, in fact, could be the last day on earth. at least for those of us two aren't in an underground bunker somewhere. what better way to end it by looking at some of our favorite end of the world movies.

i'm going way back to the lesser known file, 1998, "deep impact." the premise is nothing spectacular here. there's a meteor on a collision course with earth, everybody is freaking out. you see towards the end of the movie here when it does actually hit and do extraordinary damage, really great special effects for that time. morgan freeman plays the president and elijah wood is in this. when it does actually hit and do extraordinary damage, really great special effects in that. at least for that time. it was about people pondering their future and dreams with this incredible event about to impact earth. take a listen. >> we honor them with every brick we lay, with every field we sow, with every child we comfort and then rejoice in what we have been re-given. our planet. our home. >> and in the background, you see the burned out white house. which is pretty dramatic. that's one of my favorites. and you have two that you like. >> i couldn't decide which was

my favorite, so i picked two. first up "independence day" with will smith. 1996 it came out and aliens come and invade the earth and blow everything up. and there's a group of rag tag people that go to area 51 in the nevada desert and participate in the counterattack on july 4, independence day. man versus alien, and it's awesome, okay? excellent. my other favorite, also starring will smith, "i am legend." what's so great about this, 2007 sort of science fiction horror. a man-made virus goes haywire and has this crazy strain and will smith is like a doctor and he's kicking butt, but he's like kicking butt with vampir vampires/zombies. >> does your husband know you like will smith that much? >> we don't talk about that.

>> uh-huh. a little hard up for will.

this morning on "world news now," killer storm. the blizzard that's blasted the plains and midwest is blamed for at least six deaths. >> and it's blowing across the country, hitting big cities and stranding travelers just before christmas. it's friday, december 21st. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good friday morning. i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> no end of the world just yet. >> not yet. >> we're rocking steady up here. it is friday, everybody. 12-21-12.

good morning, i'm rob nelson. that storm is blasting a big area from chicago to boston this morning. the latest is coming up in a second. from accuweather the story of the week, in connecticut, that tragedy. and one week after the massacre, how the nation will pause today and remember the victims as the debate over gun violence continues to intensify around the country. another somber occasion in what's been an extraordinarily somber week. >> for me it doesn't even feel like a week. >> no. and you can imagine in newtown, it doesn't feel anything like christmas should feel. just horribly sad. we'll bring you the latest coming up in a second. also this morning, the people who are insisting that the end of the world is happening today, all this talk about the end of the mayan calendar has some people doing some rather drastic things. >> so far so good. we're looking all right. >> we're here. >> we'll see what the rest of the day brings. it's been fun in case we're not here later. and later, if there is a later, simon cowell has a brand

new reality of his own. something is going on behind the scenes and it involves someone very special. you will not believe who simon cowell is dating. i'm a little jealous. i didn't think simon had that kind of game. >> it is surprising. >> apparently he does. he does have that money. that's true. we begin with killer blizzard slamming the midwest, turning roads into danger zones. >> a foot of snow fell on des moines, 20 inches in madison, shutting down that city. and this morning, the storm is now moving east. warnings and watches are posted in 13 states. tens of thousands of folks without power and 500 flights canceled in the windy city alone. abc's ginger zee now reports from iowa. >> reporter: an aggressive winter storm carrying thrashing winds and blowing snow has shut down major highways across the midwest and killed at least five

people. there have been more than 1,000 spinouts and crashes from nebraska to wisconsin. in iowa, it was a 25-car pileup on i-35. so many people stranded on roads across that state, the iowa national guard has mobilized 80 troops in humvees to help. >> they can really get in some places with the traction. >> reporter: the blizzard is part of this storm that came in with a bang. that's thundersnow from madison, wisconsin. the third major winter storm of the season knocked out power to 400,000 homes in nine states. the southern part of the storm, waking parts of alabama up with severe thunderstorms and an ef-1 tornado. the storm now moves northeast. if you can find any positive in all of this powder, it's that it's moisture. remember, this is an area that's seen extreme drought. ginger zee, abc news, iowa. >> winter officially arrives later this morning. and this winter storm is well

timed. >> that's for sure. meteorologist jim dicky has our update now from accuweather. good morning to you, jim. >> good morning. still feeling the effects of our major winter storm here. the snow will wind down throughout the morning. winds will stay gusty out of the north and northwest. gusts to 30, 40 miles per hour in many spots. blizzard conditions continuing even as the snow comes to an end. the storm moves north and east bringing soaking rain through much of new england and then the winds out of the north and west across the great lakes, meaning lake-effect snow. especially the lake effect prone areas. some spots over a foot by the time all is said and done. back to you. >> thanks so much, jim. the nation pauses in a few hours to remember those lost in newtown a week ago. bells will toll 26 times in memory of each victim, beginning at 9:30 eastern time. funeral services were held yesterday for more of the young students who died. and nancy lanza, mother of gunman adam lanza, was laid to

rest in new hampshire. and there are questions this morning about the background checks gun dealers use to keep firearms away from people who shouldn't have them. this morning's "wall street journal" reports that millions of mental health records remain missing from the national database that gun dealers use to run those checks. people who have been declared mentally unfit are not allowed to purchase guns under federal law. >> how scary is that. you can imagine that's on the vice president's agenda. in other news, the fight to avoid the fiscal cliff at the end of the year is now a real cliffhanger. members of the house are now leaving washington, now that a republican plan offered by house speaker john boehner, called plan b, was put aside. it simply did not have enough support to pass. boehner's plan would have raised taxes on those earning more than $1 million a year. after pulling the bill, boehner said it's now up to president obama and the senate to find a way to avoid the cliff. so there's no way to get a plan through the house based on republican support.

that is the political lesson from this. but the day before, they said this is going to pass and then yanked it because the support in that chamber was not there. so i don't know quite where it goes from here. no one does. and now it's time for christmas break. so they get back and have less than a week to get something done before january. >> and the president isn't going to hawaii now, right? >> the last i heard, it was still up in the air. you can't imagine he would have a vacation now. or any of them shouldn't have a vacation now. but we don't know. so cliff hanger is the right word for sure. now we turn to a political eye opener and a new poll about the republican party. for the first time, the majority of americans, 53% in fact, say the republicans are too extreme. that is up from 40% just two years ago. also 22% of the republicans polled now admit their party is moving beyond the main stream. another madoff family member heads to prison for being part

of that multibillion dollar ponzi scheme. bernard madoff's younger brother, peter, has been sentenced to ten years. he pled guilty in june to conspiracy and falsifying the records of an investment adviser. the younger madoff said he didn't know about the fraud until his brother told him. a new judge in new york said she had a hard time believing that. and call this an indication of the reduced influence of the 220-year-old new york stock exchange. it's being bought by a company that's just 12 years old. no major changes are expected after atlanta-based intercontinental exchange completes its $8 billion purchase. that should happen sometime next year. >> wow. >> $8 billion. >> to purchase the new york stock exchange. that's fascinating. what that could potentially mean should be interesting. but we'll see how it plays out, as always. facebook will soon be racking up more revenue $1 at a time. the social network is testing out a new service on a limited number of people for $1, and

will guarantee delivery of a message into the main inbox of someone who they are not friends with. currently, some of you may know messages from nonfriends most likely end up in a much ignored folder labeled other. the company says the fee should help discourage spammers. i never knew that box existed. it was like two months after a very important message on facebook came to me and regret it to this day. if you don't know where that others box is, go and check it out. >> i have to check that. >> one of the secrets of facebook. check it out, guys. some residents in south florida could be accused of channeling their inner grinch. they are complaining about an over-the-top holiday display that dominates the neighborhood. >> we always see these stories. hundreds of cars drive past every night and the other residents say it's a safety hazard because it's located on a cul-de-sac.

>> a family called the hyatt runs the whole thing. they even have a radio station for instructions. they organize volunteers to keep things in check. but the neighbors want the city to step in. and i think it looks marvelous. i think it's beautiful. >> you don't live next to it. >> i wouldn't want to live next to it. i think it's pretty. >> that's the point. oh, man. we see this debate every year. it's almost over, folks. just hang in a few more days. >> it's pretty. coming up, a beloved late night talk show host admits something very personal. some folks may not have known before this interview. and all the people who believe the world is about to end any moment, and those who are not wasting time finding a hookup. you're watching "world news now." >> hey, girl. "world news now" weather brought to you by consumer cellular. cellular. [ mom ] 3 days into school break and they're already bored.

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♪ ♪ well, well, well. in case you've been living under a rock, you might want to stay there actually, because today could be the last day for humankind. >> today, december 21, a major cycle in the mayan calendar ends. for many, that means the end of

the world. that's right, thousands of tourists flocked to the yucatan peninsula near the sites of ancient mayan cities. under mexico's scorching sun they lit a sacred fire and state side some folks reflected on how they would spend their last day. >> i would spend it with my family, my mom, dad, brothers and sisters and just huddle and get, the i love yous out, i'm sorries, i never meant it and that's it and go together. but that's not going to happen. >> i don't know. i was going to spend the day with my friends and family. >> that's a plan, friends and family. that's where you want to be. and other ideas for the end of the world, sky diving and spending time with friends. all good ideas. either get that one thing you've been wanting to do forever out of your system or just be at home with your loved ones and all check out together to that big hotel in the sky. >> apparently, there's one safe place in the world in the french pyrenees mountains. hundreds are flocking there

because they believe there's a giant ufo and alien crew waiting to take humans to safety. the only tricky part is you have to climb to the top of the mountain. >> good luck with that. >> why can't the ufo come in and swoop in and pick you up? >> they're never that nice. that's less dramatic. >> that's what they do in "e.t." they lower the platform and you just walk on or they beam you up. i digress. >> if you would rather indulge in forms of escapism, you don't have to be alone. >> because ads of hookups were way up in anticipation of doomsday. folks looking for one last romp are posting ads for casual encounters and end of the world sex on craigslist and okay cupid. uh-huh. and in new york city, more than a dozen bars and clubs are throwing the end of the world bashes, if you prefer the old fashioned way to meet somebody. >> and that brings us to our

facebook question of the day. we want to know if this were you last day on earth, how would you so logon to wnnffans.com and let us know. >> keep it clean, folks. >> yes, keep it clean. >> this is what they've been warning us about. this is it. we've got to go. it's been fun. this is it. i've got to cancel my appointment with hotstuff69. i'm not going to make it, baby girl, i'm not going to make it. "world news now" continues after this from our abc

♪ skinny, so skinny yes, it is time for "the skinny." i think this is hilarious. people get into all these arguments on twitter. the myspace co-founder, tom anderson and he founded myspace. no one really uses it anymore. but he sent this tweet out today and says people keep asking so i'll just say it. fear over instagram's terms change is ridiculous. get real, folks. >> referring to that controversy of the privacy thing. >> people thought they were going to sell their photos.

well, some guy says myspace says the guy that was not able to keep a social network alive. low blow. then tom anderson says, the guy who sold myspace in 2005 for $580 million while you save away hoping for a half day off -- boom! >> chris rock has dropped that mike. that's done. >> then what happened? the other guy just deleted his account. >> he got punked. >> what are you going to say? there's no response to that. because he did sell it for $580 million. who cares if it's not hot now? >> i know that dude is somewhere mad at the sizzler. he's just mad somewhere. >> don't start a fight that you can't finish. also, speaking of a lot of money, simon cowell a very rich

man from all his tv success. but i didn't know who simon was dating. apparently, he is with the one and only carman electra. he told ryan seacrest on wednesday they're not exclusive. he says she's not my girlfriend. he says, "we're people who date." the rumor started in november that they were dating and she opened up on "access hollywood live" and says he's so cute and adorable and a sweetheart. so apparently they are seeing each other, not exclusively. i didn't know simon cowell had game enough to get her. >> he always has cute girls. >> and a lot of money. >> i don't know how old she is now, but she still looks good. >> he's not bad looking. >> you like simon? i wouldn't have guessed that. >> and the money. >> the money, the bank account, the yacht. uh-huh. the money. did i mention the money?

in other news, david letterman, i love david letterman. just a new york institution at this point. he opened up on cbs this morning speaking to charlie rose and says he has really battled with depression. and who knew? this is someone who makes so many other people happy. he's been pretty skeptical about taking depression medication. so it's been quite a battle that he's dealing with. but it's just terrific that he opened up about it, because it's a battle so many americans have, that people have. >> it will be interesting to see what he does. his contract is up in 2014, but they say a lot of comedians do have a darker side. they have that jovial funny person you see on tv. a lot going on underneath. >> his rumor is a little acidic. and lastly here, gangnam style, the most watched youtube video. the south korean rapper now, to show you how successful that

song has been. he bought a $1.25 million condo in l.a., and may not be a lot by hollywood standards. but he did pay for it in cash. so he rode that little horsey all the way to a cash paid for condo in l.a. gangnam style, indeed. bet he loves america now. .. [ cat 1 ] i am not a vegetarian...

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♪ this week has been a week of heartbreak, of anger, of outrage. a week that few will forget. >> that's for sure. the massacre in connecticut that left 20 children and 6 adults dead inside an elementary school also touched off debate to make sure it never happens again. here's our friday "rewind." >> i heard a loud bang. we thought something fell. then we heard another.

then we thought that it was a gunshot. >> she saved all of us. there was 19 people in our class, and she saved all of us. >> charlotte, daniel, olivia, josephine, anna, dylan, madeline, catherine, chase jesse, james, grace, emilie, jack, noah, caroline, jessica, benjamin, avielle, allison. god has called them all home. >> you see little coffins and

your heart has to ache. >> for my jersey, and to be his favorite player. so much that they want to bury him with it, it was unreal. >> i will use all the powers of this office to help advance efforts aimed at preventing more tragedies like this. ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound ♪ ♪ that saved a child like me ♪ >> later this morning, president obama plans to observe a moment of silence at the white house. >> it will happen at 9:30, one week exactly after the shooting. americans are being encouraged to pause to honor the many victims as well as to pray and reflect on what we've been through this week and hope it does not happen again. we leave you now with our own tribute.

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good morning, america. breaking now, that major winter storm making a mess of the northeast. flooding and high winds causing damage on the eve of the hol his plan b to avoid that fiscal cliff, it failed. breaking overnight, the republican backup plan dies in the house. the fiscal cliff looming larger this morning, as global stock markets are already feeling it. it is a day for newtown. the nation honors those young faces and brave adults. we are live in connecticut. and there's good news for santa this morning, as air traffic control sends him a very important message.